The NGO PEN International has again called on the Moroccan authorities to “immediately release” journalist Souleiman Raissouni and all prisoners of conscience in the kingdom’s prisons, and to “stop targeting” media professionals on the basis of “false accusations”.
Journalist Souleiman Raissouni was sentenced in July 2021 to a 5-year prison term, together with a fine of 100,000 Moroccan dirhams (around $10,000). This former editor of the Arabic-language newspaper Akhbar Al Yaoum (a Moroccan media which has ceased publication) is being prosecuted “because of his opinions”. Its support committee in Morocco denounces a trial “of a political and revengeful nature”.
In a post on its Facebook page, PEN International states that “Moroccan journalist Souleiman Raissouni should not remain imprisoned due to trumped up charges and an unfair trial, just like other journalists in Morocco who should not be incriminated for having expressed their opinions”.
The same organization notes that many human rights associations have condemned the arrest of journalist Souleiman Raissouni, describing it as “arbitrary”, denouncing “the circumstances of his arrest, the defamation campaigns carried out against him by pro-government media and the lack of sufficient evidence against him”.
The NGO adds that in July 2021, an international investigation had revealed that the journalist Raissouni was put under surveillance by the Moroccan authorities via the spyware “Pegasus”, considering that his imprisonment took place after “an unfair trial and that he is targeted because of the content of his writings”. She also expressed concern about his health.
To this end, PEN International calls on everyone to join the campaign it has launched to “urge the Moroccan authorities to guarantee Raissouni’s right to a fair trial, to release him immediately and to stop targeting journalists on the basis of unjust accusations”.
PEN International had already launched, last October, a solidarity campaign to demand the immediate release of Souleiman Raissouni and guarantee his right to a fair trial.
This journalist was arrested on May 22, 2020, after a series of violations of his rights as an accused, starting with his extrajudicial arrest, the falsification of the arrest report, his continued detention after the expiry of the period custody without justification, and the unjustified extension of the duration of the investigation. The journalist was also denied access to his charge file until the court had ruled on the case, several months after his arrest.
In addition, the investigating judge refused to hear defense witnesses and the court rejected all defense requests, without valid justification.